Mandela’s family visit hospital

A man reads get well messages for former South African President Nelson Mandela outside the Medi-Clinic Heart Hospital, where Mandela is being treated.

A man reads get well messages for former South African President Nelson Mandela outside the Medi-Clinic Heart Hospital, where Mandela is being treated.

Published Aug 1, 2013

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Pretoria - Former president Nelson Mandela's daughter Makaziwe Mandela arrived at the Pretoria hospital on Thursday, where the ailing icon was spending his 55th day.

Moments after she arrived, Mandela's wife Graca Machel left the Mediclinic Heart Hospital via the Celliers Street exit. There was little activity outside the private hospital.

Tshwane metro police were still manning the cordoned-off section of the Celliers Street entrance, although traffic was minimal.

Few people visited the hospital to take pictures of wall, covered with messages and flowers for the ailing former statesman.

A handful of local and international journalists remained outside both entrances to the facility.

The global icon was admitted to the hospital on June 8 with a recurring lung infection.

On Wednesday, president Jacob Zuma said Mandela was in a critical but stable condition.

“The former president of the ANC and founding president of a free and democratic South Africa is sadly still in hospital, where he remains in a critical but stable condition,” Zuma said at a business meeting in Midrand.

“The doctors are doing everything they can to ensure an improvement in his health.”

He urged South Africans to continue keeping the elder statesman in their thoughts and prayers.”

Sapa

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